Annealing and heat-treating furnace



Kay 15, 1928.

A. T, KATHNER ANNEALING AND HEAT TREATING'FURNACE Filed May 26, 1926 2 sheetsrsheet INVENTOE QTTQENEY May 15, 192&

1,659,902 A. T. KATHNER ANNEALING AND HEAT TREATING FURNACE Fil M y 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENToE.

Patented May 15, 1928.

ENT. OFFICE.

ARTHUR T. KATHNEB, OF TORONTO, OHIO.

' Applioation flled Kay 26,

This invention relates broadly to furnaces or annealing and heat treating metals, .and more specifically to a furnace for normaliz ng, annealing, heat-treating and processing uetal sheets, plates, slabs, bars and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to )rovide a continuous furnace of multiple which operations have heretofore been ef footed only by the employment of numerous lifferent forms or types of furnaces. v

A further objeqt is to provide a continuous furnace of the character referred tohaving :ertain improved features of constructions providing for regulation of the temperature and the rate of cooling reguired to produce any desired character annealing, and whereby a material economy in the time involvedin the treatment of processing of the metal may, be efiected.

With these and other important objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a topp an view of the invention' Figure 2 is a longitudinal section online 2-2, Fig. ,1; l

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section on line 33, Fig. 1; I

Figure 4 is an end elevation of one of the removable arch sectionsof the furnace;

, Figure 5 is a longitudinal section on line 5-5, Fig. 4; and v Figure 6' is a transverse section of the in-' vention, taken on line 6-6, Fig. 1.

Referring to saiddrawings A designates generally a heating or normalizing furnace which comprises opposite side walls 1 of suitable height and a plurality of relatively abutting arch sections 2 which',a r e superimposed upon said side walls. Suitably ournaled upon and supported bysard side walls ,tached, as for be ANNEALING AND HEAT-TREATING summon. I

i920. Serial no. 111,754.

is a succession of suitably driven shafts 3 WhlCll' carry conveyor disks 4 upon which sheets of metal, or packs of such sheets, are advanced through the furnace from the entrance end 5 the latter. .Fuel, as gas, for heating the chamber -a may be supplied through suitably arrangedburners 6. D

Located in alinement with the normalizmg chamber a of said furnace and communlcating with the forward end of the latter is a chamber 6 through which the metal under treatment is advanced at any required rate of speed, and in which the rapidity of cooling is controlled or regulated to accord with the character of annealing, or heat treatment, required. Said chamber 6' has located" therein a succession of transverse shafts 7 which carr conveyor disks 8 upon which the metal un or treatment is advanced.

A damper controlled stack 9 is located over the forward end of the normalizing-furnace adjacent to the position of the front end, or fire wall, 10, whichlatter has its lower end disposed a suitable distance above the pathof travel of the metal borne by the conveyor. disks. A fire door baflie 11 is adjustable vertically relative to said path of travel at or adjacent to the end wall whereby the passage of heat from the normalizing chamber a to the coolin chamber 6 may be controlled. A suitable eflector 12 is formed on or adjacent to the fire wall 10 whereby heat andotherproducts'of com bustion may be directed to the stack 9 and thus very largely prevented from finding its way to the cooling chamber.

The cooling chamber comprises side walls 13 upon which are carried the bearings for the conveyor shafts 7 and upon which is supported an arch composed of a plurality of complemental relatively abutting sections,

14 of suitable size or sizes.

Each of the various arch comprises a suitable metal frame structure, designated 2 in Figs. 3 to 6, which carries in fixed relation thereto a lining 2 of a suitable refractory material, and each of said sections has rigidly attached thereto carrying members, as hooks 15, to which the carrying chains of a liftin crane may readily be atdily elevating or removing any selected "section or-sections. j The sectional arrangement or construction of the arch of the normalizing furnace has for one of its purposes to provide for e'x pension and contraction of the arch resultsections 2 and 14 ing from the widely varying temperatures maintained in the normalizing chamber without undue buckling or distortion and without derangement of either the conveyor or the driving mechanism, said sections being more or less free to move upon the side walls by which they are supported. Such freedom of movement is facilitated by the provision of bearing-receiving recesses 17 of relatively large capacity in the lower edge portions of the arch sections. Moreover, when the lining of any section requires renewal or repair, such section may be bodily removed and a spare section kept for the purpose may immediately be introduced in the place of the removed section without shutting down the furnace, thus obviating the long delays which have heretofore been necessitated in cases where repairs, even of a minor nature, were required, such delays being greatly prolonged by the usual requirement that the furnace be allowed to cool off completely before repairs could be undertaken.

The sectional construction of the arch of the cooling chamber is designed primarily to provide means for controlling the rate ofcooling of the metal as it passes through said chamber. As is well understood in the art, the character and quality of the product is very materially controlled by regulation of the time of cooling following the heating to high temperatures. When rapid cooli to a predetermined temperature is desire one or more selected sections 14 of the arch are elevated from their places byimeans of a crane to permit of the rapid escape of heat from the chamber 6 as required, following which theymay be replaced. Obviously, a great variety of results ma be 'arrivedat by elevating or removing di erent sections of the arch from time to time and-for different periods to vary the time and rate of cooling I of the metal.

Vents 16 may be provided in some or all of the arch sections 14 for allowing the heat of the annealin chamber to escape gradually, as when gra ual cooling of the metal is desirable.

In cases where the period of coolin of the product is to be prolonged, the fire oor 11 is elevated to the extent required for admittin heat to the cooling chamber.

bviously, the rate of cooling may additionally be controlled by re ulation of the speed at which the conveyor isks are driven.

Manifestly, any form of'heatin element or fuel, as gas, powdered coal, oi tar and the like may be employed What is claimed 1s- 1. A continuous annealing furnace comprising a heating chamber and a coolin chamber arra 'ed in alined relation an separated by a re well, said wall having a passage in its lower portion providing communication between said chambers, continuous means for conveying material through said chambers, a damper-controlled stack leading from the forward end of the heating chamber, means for deflecting products of combustion away from said passage and towards said stack, a shiftable fire-door for controlling the admisison of heat throu 11' towards said stac a shiftabe fire-door whereby the admisison of heat through said passage is controlled, said cooling chamber embodying an arch-like top having sections which are removable for facilitating heat dissipation.

A continuous annealing furnace comprising a heating chamber and a coolin chamber arranged in alined relation an separated by a fire wall, said wall having a passage in its lower portion roviding commumcation between said cham rs, contmuous means for conveying material through said chambers, a damper-controlled stack leading from the forward end of the heatin chamber, means for deflecting products o combustion awa from said passage and towards, said stac a shiftable firedoor whereby the admission of heat through said passage is controlled, said cooling chamber including a to havin sections thereof bodily removab e for acilitating heat dissipation.

4. A continuous annealing furnace comprising a heating chamber and a coolin chamber arranged in alined relation an separated by a fire wall, said wall having a passage in its lower portion roviding .,commun1cation between said chem ers, continuous means for conveying material through said chambers, a damper-controlled stack leading from the forward end of the heatin chamber, means for deflecting products o combustion away from said assage and towards said stack, a shiftable re-door whereby the admission of heat throu b said passa e is controlled, said cooling c amber I inclu g a top having sections thereof bodily removable for facilitating'heat dissipati'on, and said annealing chamber having a sectional arch mounted upon its side walls, the, arch sections being shiftable in relation both to each other, and to said walls, said sections also being separately removable.

5. A continuous annealing furnace comprising a heating chamber and a coolin chamber arranged in alined relation an separated by a firewall, said wall having a passage in its lower portion roviding communication between said cham rs, continuous means for conveying material through said chambers, a damper-controlled stack leading from the forward end of the heating chamber, means for deflecting products of combustions away from said assage and towards said stacks, a shiftab e firedoor whereby the admission of heat through said passage is controlled, said heating chamber havin an arch formed of complemental bodily levatable and removable sections.

6. A continuous annealing furnace-of the character described, comprising a heating chamber and a cooling chamber arran ed in alined relation, a fire wallextending ownwardly between said chambers to separate same and having an'openingx therein to provide a passage between t e chambers, a stack arran ed in the heating chamber, means in t e stack for controlling the egress of heat and products of combustion from the heating chamber, a movable door adjacent to' the fire wall, for varying and controlling the passage of heat and products of combustion between the chambers, and means in the chambers for continually advancing material therethrough to be treated, said means being disposed below and spaced from said door to 1 emit a predetermined amount of heat and products of combustion and the material to be treated to continually pass from the heating chamber to the cooling chamber.

Z. A continuous annealin furnace of the character described, including a heating chamber and a cooling chamber arranged in alined relation, a movable door between said chambers for controlling the passage of heat and the products of combustion between the same, and means for advancing material to be treated through said chambers, said means being dis osed spaced from said door whereby a pre etermined amount of heat and products of combustion and the material to be treated may be continuously passed from the heating chamber to the cooling chamber.

In'testimony whereof, I' aflix my signature.

.ARTHUR T. KATHNER. 

